


let me go

by FaultyParagon



Series: Qrow Branwen-Centric Fics [12]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Drabble, Drabble Collection, Drabble Sequence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Aid, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, Mentioned Team STRQ - Freeform, Qrow Branwen-centric, Romance, fair game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:14:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 2,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26005522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaultyParagon/pseuds/FaultyParagon
Summary: Qrow does not want to lose anyone ever again. He would be happy to work alone forever if he could keep his loved ones safe.After one rough mission by Clover's side, his determination is finally challenged. He's got a good luck charm now, after all.-aka a short drabble collection following how Qrow finally understands just how much Clover is willing to give him.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Series: Qrow Branwen-Centric Fics [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1448095
Comments: 53
Kudos: 54





	1. Chapter 1

There is nothing more jarring than fighting against other humans. Qrow knows he should be alright with it; he was raised in it, amidst the endless need for bloodshed, for violence, for victory, after all. His earliest memories are painted just as red as his irises, dripping off steel, not the white bone claws and fangs of the Grimm. He should always be ready to fight against other people.

Perhaps Raven is right. Perhaps he has grown too weak for this world. Perhaps he is not meant to survive in Remnant.

He wonders faintly how Clover is handling this battle.


	2. Chapter 2

There is no chance to dwell upon his errant thoughts as gunfire rings out through shadowed alleyways, damp streets echoing with every footfall, every sword strike, every fired bullet. His own feet carry him through the air, the motions given no thought in favour of complete and utter trust of his senses. In battles such as these, there is no point in strategy, for he only has one goal: to take them down.

Why members of a local gang have decided to rear their heads amidst everything else that is destroying the precarious illusion of peace within Mantle to which the people so desperately cling, Qrow will never know. What he _does_ know is that he is going to enjoy letting Clover throw cuffs onto all of these bastards who have raised weapons against him.


	3. Chapter 3

One by one, his foes fall. He does not bother to unfurl Harbinger, striking non-vital points with the back of his blade. He shall be their captor, not their executioner.

His mind feels almost as if he is watching the battle from farther away, taking it in distantly, nowhere near as present as he should be amidst gunfire from trafficked weapons and slashes from broken bottles and rusty pipes. He is not concerned with their attacks, for his Aura is still barely impacted by this entire conflict. He shall be fine.

He does not know if Clover will be the same.


	4. Chapter 4

Clover is not doing so well on his end, it seems; he had left the elder Huntsman to capture those who had fled, trusting that his luck to keep him safe. _He’s safer away from me, anyways,_ Qrow tells himself.

It is a vain attempt to keep his worry at bay; Clover’s Aura is trickling down far faster than Qrow’s, the bar upon Qrow’s Scroll depleting too quickly to be natural. Something is wrong.

As the last thug in Qrow’s vicinity falls, voice screaming out in pain as Qrow’s blade sends him flying into an unforgiving, slick brick wall, Clover’s voice rings through the air, startling Qrow out of his complacency. “Watch out!”

And Qrow regrets.


	5. Chapter 5

The next thing Qrow knows, Clover’s eyes are scant inches away from his own, wide with shock; his mouth twists into an open scream, no noise emerging for a moment. Qrow’s eyes fall, landing upon a short handle protruding from Clover’s shoulder. Without a word, he immediately lifts Harbinger and fires a bullet right between the eyes of Clover’s assailant, no longer caring of attaining true justice. The body falls away in time with Clover’s.

Unlike the target, however, Clover at least has Qrow to catch him; but Qrow knows that he may not be enough to save him.


	6. Chapter 6

Clover shakes his head, pulling away from Qrow’s grasp, gesturing towards the bodies felled around him despite the automatic tears in his eyes and the pallor of his skin. Qrow grimaces; he will be denied granting any help until their mission is complete.

He quickly captures everyone they have apprehended, locking their wrists and ankles together with Dust and magnetism so that they cannot escape.

It is only when that is truly completed that Clover smiles at him, a tinge of green like flitting across his skin before fizzling out entirely.

Qrow glances at his Scroll. Clover’s Aura is dead.


	7. Chapter 7

Before Clover can provide a smart quip as he is wont to do in extreme circumstance, Qrow is already upon his earpiece, sending off their coordinates, demanding medical assistance with the extraction. He speaks with clarity, no hesitation, for he has been in too many operations to falter now.

He thanks this experience. He does not want to falter when Clover is hurt. He does not want to let anyone see just how deeply the blood dripping from Clover’s shoulder shatters Qrow’s spirit- least of all, Clover.

Clover can tell anyways. He knows Qrow hates blood on his hands.


	8. Chapter 8

The hand which presses up against his heart is teasing, knowing; despite blood seeping through his lips, Clover is still jovial. “Hey, calm down. Let’s not attract the Grimm while we’re at it, eh?”

Qrow wants to snarl, bite back; how can Clover be so calm? “Your luck _won’t save you_ if your Aura’s gone,” he manages to hiss out, blinking away tears that wish to flow in tandem with the pool below Clover.

Clover grins a bloody smile. “Pull it out.”

“You’re fucking mad.”

“Only for you.”

Qrow lets out a hoarse bark of a laugh. The knife is pulled out. His hands are stained, but staunching gel shall ease some of his guilt. Some of it.


	9. Chapter 9

The motions are practiced, for Qrow has had to do this far too many times to count; soon enough, he has triaged the biggest wound, his brow furrowed, teeth clenched, hands working so deftly that he can scarcely breathe.

Clover watches this all somberly, his expression a mix of heartache and regret. “It’s fine, you know. I’ll be okay-“

“You’d better fucking be,” Qrow hisses in response.

“Why are you so worried?” The question is innocent; Clover is fully confident in his recovery. He has no reason _not_ to be.

Qrow has reasons. Qrow has been burned too many times before.


	10. Chapter 10

“I’ve lost teammates before. My partner died and I couldn’t save her.”

Clover’s eyes, so questioning, so curious, fall, regret lighting up emerald instantly, his smile falling away. “Oh, Qrow- I-“

“One died. One abandoned us. The only reason the other one stays out of trouble is that Ruby and Yang can’t lose their dad, too. Not with their moms gone.”

Somber, bitter shock finally fills Clover’s gaze. He understands now- just a fraction, a taste, but the hint of pain curling within his heart is enough.

“So don’t you fucking tell me everything’s fine. Nothing’s fine.” He does not need to keep pressure on the wound- it is bandaged well. He does so anyways.


	11. Chapter 11

The grief in Clover’s voice is sincere. “I- I didn’t now. Qrow, I-“ He coughs, winces, sighs as his Aura dances briefly across his skin, too weak to do anything useful.

Qrow receives confirmation that the medics are on the way with the prisoner transport vessel at last. Those words flashing upon his Scroll are the trigger- just like that, he can no longer maintain any semblance of calm, feeling tears welling up in his eyes unbidden, his years of experience falling away, making him feel just as fresh and new and unprepared as a rookie, as he realizes the truth.

This will be the end of them, won’t it?


	12. Chapter 12

“I’m so sorry, Clover,” he breathes, cursing silently as his voice hitches, “but you can’t do this anymore.”

“Do what?” Clover’s eyes are creased, brow furrowed from the pain that is undoubtedly ailing him with every breath, but he still keeps a smile on his face.

Qrow hates it- hates that he has grown to love that optimism, grown to adore that positivity, grown to look forward to days spent fighting by the other man’s side.

He hates that he has grown attached.

“You can’t go on missions with me anymore. This is proof- my Semblance is too strong. We’re done.”


	13. Chapter 13

“Qrow, no,” Clover breathes, his hands finding Qrow’s and clasping them tightly, plastering on a smile in a pathetic attempt to convince the elder. “No. I like working with you. This wasn’t your luck- I should’ve been more prepared.” He squeezes Qrow’s hands, flashing his teeth in a pained grin. “Don’t talk like that. I’m fine.”

Qrow does not care. Clover’s protests fall upon deaf ears. He takes in a shuddering breath, releasing in all in one go as he finally forces the words upon which he has been stewing the whole time.

“I… Clover, I can’t lose you too.”


	14. Chapter 14

He is crying.

Qrow Branwen, one of the top Huntsmen of the Kingdom of Vale, the man partnered up on missions with the most elite soldier in the Kingdom of Atlas, is crying.

For the briefest moment, naught more than a heartbeat, he feels shame; he wants to shove it down, hide away his feelings, swallow them with a drink or with a body in his bed or with the pain of battle-

But he does not hide it. He allows the tears to finally spill forth, rolling unceremoniously down his cheeks.

He is sick and tired of losing people, and Clover needs to know that Qrow won’t be able to handle losing him, too.


	15. Chapter 15

“No.”

Qrow takes in a haggard, hiccupping breath as he readies himself to shut down the other man, but Clover beats him to it. The younger man, who has been leaning against a nearby wall, grins, waving Qrow closer. Shuddering, Qrow obeys, too flustered and terrified to think clearly; to his surprise, Clover merely leans his head forward once Qrow is close enough, resting his forehead against Qrow’s shoulder.

“Well, I should get a say, too,” he whispers, “and I don’t want to stop working with you.”

“But-“

“No buts.”

A warbling, incoherent plea slips past Qrow’s lips. He wishes he could agree.


	16. Chapter 16

“Besides,” Clover adds, reaching up with his uninjured hand to wipe tears off Qrow’s cheek in a manner which the elder can only call _affectionate,_ “I barely see you around enough as it is.”

That startles Qrow. “We’re… on missions every day though?”

Clover shakes his head. “It’s not enough for me.”

“Don’t bullshit me-“

“I’m not. Do I have to spell it out?”

He flashes Qrow a wry grin before his eyelids begin to droop.

Qrow wants to scream. The medics will be there soon, so Clover just needs to hold on a little longer- just a _little longer-_


	17. Chapter 17

Suddenly, green sparks flicker to life in weary eyes, and Qrow can hear beeping coming from his Scroll. Glancing down, a tidal wave of relief crashes over his entire body, shocking his system to the core. His Aura has begun to regenerate; just as that realization kicks in, a faint shimmer of turquoise-green begins to glow, concentrating around Clover’s shoulder blade.

He’s going to be okay.

Clover opens his eyes fully once again, flashing him a wry smile. “So, do you need me to spell it out?”

Qrow frowns. What in the world was he talking about?

Then, he understands the warmth in Clover’s eyes, and suddenly, everything is different.


	18. Chapter 18

“You can’t be serious,” he whispers.

“I am,” Clover replies.

“ _Brothers,_ no-”

“No gods right now, remember? No one but you, me, and our luck.”

Qrow jumps at that, desperate to latch onto some modicum of sense, because if he is understanding Clover correctly, then this whole thing is colossally terrible idea and he needs to cut it off. _Now._

_But wouldn’t we look good together?_

That tiny question makes him almost gag. Yeah, yeah they would. If Clover is serious about this, then-

 _No, I_ can’t. _I have to be the stronger one here._

The green increases, and Clover’s arms wrap around his shoulders, and Qrow wants to be weak more than ever before.


	19. Chapter 19

The wound begins to properly knit. Medics arrive, administering a shot to kick-start his Aura fully.

Clover shall be fine. Qrow can breathe easy.

The criminals are rounded up. Before he knows it, Clover has begun the report on his Scroll. Qrow sighs, watching him type away with fond exasperation. “You know you can wait a bit, right?” he murmurs, pushing Clover’s Scroll down. “You haven’t healed up fully yet.”

To his horror, Clover grabs one of his hands, kissing the back of his fingers. “I’m trying to save time. Not enough to spend with you, remember?” He winks. “I didn’t realize I needed to be so forward, but hey, I don’t mind.”

Never before has Qrow wanted to fly away so badly out of pure embarrassment.


	20. Chapter 20

“I meant it, you know. We shouldn’t work together anymore. My Semblance will only hurt you.”

“And I meant it, too; I want to stand by your side. And,” Clover posits, staring thoughtfully at the elder across the cargo hold, “you can’t let me go; you’re already pretty lucky to have won me over. My luck will always save the day.”

“And if it runs out?”

Clover smiles, as confident as sunshine, completely nonplussed. The events of the evening are already passed. “Then I’ll have to step up to the plate to make it a fair game with fate then, won’t I?”

And Qrow can only laugh, for he wishes he could be as optimistic, but he has been burned far too many times before- and yet, with Clover's hand in his, he gives in, for he knows that Clover means every word.

_**-fin-** _

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment and let me know what you think!


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